Belgian Wildfire Rages Near German Border as Greece Probes Deadly Blaze

A massive wildfire in eastern Belgium continued to burn out of control on Monday, edging closer to the German border, even as cooler temperatures and overnight rain offered some respite to firefighters. The blaze, one of the largest in the country's history, has scorched an estimated 30 square kilometers of the High Fens region in Liège province, leaving behind blackened trees and smoldering ground.

Belgium's King Philippe cut short his summer vacation to visit emergency crews battling the fire, which is now burning about eight kilometers from Germany. The fire moved into a pine forest on Sunday and has been spreading eastward, with authorities saying a section of the blaze remains in an inaccessible area and is advancing toward the German town of Monschau.

"We managed to maintain the fire where the firemen are situated but there's still a place which is totally inaccessible, where the fire is still going on in the direction of Monschau in Germany," said Nicolas Yernaux, spokesperson for the Wallonia regional public services.

While the overnight rain helped contain the blaze and reduced the risk of flare-ups, Yernaux noted it did not significantly impact the center of the fire. Dozens of firefighters are being supported by aircraft from Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as police drones monitoring the situation. Hundreds of residents remain under precautionary evacuation orders, and local tourism has been hit, with hotel owners reporting canceled reservations.

Meanwhile, in Greece, investigators are examining the site of a fast-moving wildfire on the island of Salamina, west of Athens, which killed two people, injured nine others, and destroyed several homes on Sunday. A separate fire briefly broke out near the main international airport in Spata, east of Athens, but was contained within 30 minutes.

Greek authorities also reported the arrest of an 80-year-old man in the northern town of Kavala on arson charges for allegedly setting fire to dried vegetation. This is part of a broader crackdown, with 302 fire-related arrests made in Greece since January 1, including 31 for deliberate arson.

In southwestern France, a fire in the Landes region was brought under control after four days, allowing about half of the more than 600 evacuated residents to begin returning home. The fire burned roughly 17 square kilometers during a prolonged spell of extreme heat, though temperatures have begun to drop. Europe is currently experiencing one of its hottest and driest summers on record, a trend that recent studies attribute to climate change.